


Murder family pets

by Meggie_Hen



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Abigail Lives, Hannibal is a Cannibal, M/M, Murder Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-05
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-14 16:15:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1272913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meggie_Hen/pseuds/Meggie_Hen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a slightly better edited version of my fic by the same name on ff.net. Will takes in a new pet and suddenly finds his family coming together. It's mostly just family fluff, only rated T for mentions of cannibalism and murder. It will have some violence, but I don't plan it to be too graphic.<br/>*** I honestly don't know when I will update, though I am working on the next chapter (and I really want to finish and make it cute and happy and murder-y). If you'd like to pass the time with another fic, I can recommend my other one that is completed. :) It's called "When a lion loves a mongoose".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A new friend

All the lovely characters do not belong to me, of course, I am only borrowing them.

Ch. 1

Sunday morning Will was jolted awake by angry barking from his dogs. He followed their noise out to the living room where they were all crowding around the front door. Winston hadn’t learned the no-scratching-doors-rule yet and was pawing frantically, scraping away layers of paint along the bottom of the door. Will called his dogs back and kept a firm tone until he had them all shut in his room.

“Good dogs. Yes, good doggies. Stay there now, I’ll be right back.” Will praised them once he had them away from the front door. He grabbed his coat and put on his boots before he headed outside. Will wasn’t sure he could trust himself with a firearm and hoped he wouldn’t need one to face whatever was on the other side of his door. He did take a large hiking stick with him; it could be used for self-defense if needed.

Snow coated the ground outside in patches of varying depths and the wind cut across the landscape, rustling the few bits of tall grass that poked out above the snow. Will hunched his shoulders and snuggled his face into his scarf, but the cold still turned his cheeks and nose bright red. Will surveyed his yard, but couldn’t see anything strange. He couldn’t hear much over the wind either. Determined, he walked until he was far enough out into the fields that his house looked like a little dollhouse in the distance. Will listened closely, trying to ignore the wind whistling through nearby trees. He thought he could hear a loud thump, and he tried to follow the sound, worried that an animal had tripped in the snow.

Sure enough, about ten yards away in a snow pit was a stag. He was lying on his side and thrashing against some netting that was trapping his legs together as if he was hogtied. Will approached slowly, letting the stag see him and decide if he was a threat of not. The stag must have sensed Will’s good intentions because he relaxed and let Will approach him.

Will put down his hiking stick and stepped closer until he was near the stag’s legs, but not within reach should he start to kick. He studied the netting and saw how he could untie it. It wouldn’t be too difficult, but he needed the stag to cooperate. He reached forward, stroking the stag’s leg a little above the netting so it could get used to his hands. When the stag stayed still, Will began to unwrap the netting. Once it was unwrapped, it fell open and the stag leapt to its feet. Will fell back in the snow, worried the stag would lash out at him.

When the stag only stood and flicked his tail, Will slowly hoisted himself out of the snow and picked up his hiking stick. The stag watched him, his large intelligent brown eyes observing Will as if he was the most curious thing he’d ever seen. Will leaned on his hiking stick and waited for the stag to walk; he didn’t want to leave the stag in case it had been injured. Will was startled when the stag stretched his neck out and sniffed towards Will. Will held his breath and waited.

The stag took a hesitant step forward and sniffed again. Will watched the cloudy breath disappear into the chilly air and held very still. Then after a few seconds, the stag made up his mind and walked straight up to Will. Will stood stalk still, the stag’s foggy breath ghosted over his face and hands as it sniffed him. Done investigating the human, the stag pulled his head back and watched Will, as if waiting for a cue. Will wasn’t sure what he should do, so he turned around and started walking back to his house. After his first few steps he heard the crunch of snow from the stag’s hooves as he followed.

All the way back to the house, Will wondered if he should shoo the stag away. It just didn’t seem right to let a wild animal follow him home. What was he going to do with it? Did he really think it would just settle in with his dogs and live in the house? Will knew he was being irrational, but he just kept walking and let the stag follow him to the front porch. It was there that he turned around to get a better look at the stag.

The stag stood behind him, tall and elegant. His dark eyes shined and Will watched his own reflection stare back at him. The stag was dark, unusually dark, Will decided. His coat was more black than brown, and his coat was long and fluffy, like the downy fuzz of newborn chicks. His antlers were long and sharp; Will wondered momentarily how he’d fit the stag in his house with antlers like that. As if he’d read Will’s mind, the stag walked up on to the porch and lay down on the rug by his rocking chair.

“Well, I guess if you want to live on the porch, that works too.” Will rubbed a hand across his face and went inside his house, everything was feeling too surreal. He let the dogs out of his room and they immediately rushed to the front door and started sniffing and whining. “I can’t let you out there, you might attack the stag, or he might stab you guys.” The dogs ignored him and Will sat down on the couch with his laptop to research deer.

After a couple hours of research Will gave up. He accepted that he wouldn’t be able to find anything on black deer that want to live on your front porch. He’d just have to figure out how to deal with the stag as he went. It was about lunchtime when he finally shut down his laptop. Will usually had a quick lunch and then took the dogs for a quick potty break and some outside time. He ate a sandwich, but when it came time to let the dogs out, he didn’t know what to do. He peeked out the door and saw the stag shoving snow away with his nose as he grazed in the front of the house.

Will’s dogs were usually well behaved, and Will tried to hold the door closed, but with so many noses prodding him and trying to nudge open the door, Will couldn’t keep the dogs from slipping outside. They rushed through the door, a wave of furry bodies, and surrounded the stag. Will ran behind them, yelling at the dogs; worried they’d attack the stag. But they only stared curiously once they’d surrounded the stag. He stood, completely unfazed, and sniffed noses with Winston. This apparently meant something to the dogs because they dispersed and went about their usual business when out of the house.

Will sighed with relief and approached the stag. When he was about a yard, away the stag stopped grazing and walked forward to meet Will. Will held out his hand and let the stag sniff him, the soft muzzle and fuzzy lips felt different from any dog, and Will had to hold back a laugh because it tickled his palm. He was pleasantly surprised when the stag lowered his head slightly, as if asking Will to scratch his forehead. Will was careful to avoid the prongs tilted towards him as he rubbed gently at the swirl of hair on the stag’s forehead. When the stag was done being petted, he raised his head regally and looked down at Will from luminous eyes.

“Ok your highness, you’re welcome from the petting.” Will chuckled. “Do you want a name? I don’t know how long you plan to stick around, but I will give you a name just in case you do plan to stay for a while.” The stag just blinked back at Will, _waiting to hear his name_ , Will thought with amusement. “How about Bambi?” The stag stomped his foot and snorted. Will couldn’t help flinching back. “Sorry, I was just joking. Ok, not Bambi. How about King, since you’re so high and mighty?” The stag let out what could only be interpreted as a sigh. Will scratched his beard and thought. “Ok, what do you think of…Harold?” Will almost burst out laughing when the stag didn’t react. “What? Really, you like the name Harold?” The stag blinked and stretched his neck out, sniffing at Will’s face. Will scrunched his nose and tried not to move as the stag sniffed his face. “Ok, Harold you are then.” Will sighed and called the dogs back in the house once Harold was finished inspecting his face.

The dogs followed Will obediently into the house and pooled around him on the couch. When Will looked out the window, he could see Harold grazing in the snow. Will decided not to think too much about his new addition to the family, he didn’t want to know what it might say about him. It was strange enough to take in so many strays and consider that family, adding wild animals was just another step towards crazy.

Suddenly, Will remembered that Hannibal was going to stop by in the afternoon and bring dinner. He could pretend that Harold was just passing through and that he hadn’t named him, but Hannibal wasn’t easy to fool. Will was just going to have to admit to taking in the deer and hope Hannibal understood. He wasn’t going to tolerate being psychoanalyzed, especially not since they had become tentative friends. Well, if Will admitted it to himself, he hoped they might become more than friends. It had been a long time since he felt so at ease around someone, and actually wanted company.

Will spent the rest of the evening finishing up flies he’d started and day dreaming about going for ice cream with Hannibal and Abigail, until he heard a car pull into the driveway. Will jumped up and ran to the door, scattering dogs as he went. He threw open the door and rushed to Harold’s side. The stag was spooked, but stood stalk still in the headlights of Hannibal’s Bentley. Hannibal parked where he was and stepped out of his car holding some containers and a bag full of cooking supplies. No doubt they were for making dinner.

Hannibal gave Will a pointed look and walked forward. Harold nudged Will’s shoulder but stayed where he was as Hannibal approached. Will patted the stag’s neck soothingly and smiled sheepishly at Hannibal.

“I see you found another stray. Who is this?” Will was shocked, but pleased by Hannibal’s calm handling of the strange situation.

“This is Harold, he joined my little family this morning. He lives on the porch.” Will wasn’t sure why he added the last tidbit. Hannibal stopped in front of Will and extended a hand to Harold once he’d balanced his supplies on one arm. Will held his breath and watched as Harold slowly reached forward and sniffed Hannibal’s hand. Seemingly satisfied, Harold turned and went to curl up on the rug again.

Hannibal acted completely natural, and walked up to the front door, nodding politely to the stag resting nearby before smiling at Will and entering the house. Will rushed to catch up and entered his home in time to see Hannibal handing out little slivers of meat to all the dogs. He turned and smiled at Will as the dogs sat around him hoping for seconds. Will flushed as the unbidden thought arose that, even in his fancy suits, Hannibal fit perfectly into his family.

“Sorry, I’ll just feed the dogs now. Um, you can go ahead and do whatever you need in the kitchen, it’s a bit of a mess so I don’t care if you rearrange anything to make yourself more at home.” Will flushed again and scrambled to put all the dogs’ bowls out with their proper food. He also freshened their water bowls so he could avoid making a fool of himself in front of Hannibal just a little longer. Finally he had to return to Hannibal, or risk being rude.

Hannibal was slicing up some sort of meat and had some chopped vegetables on a cutting board Will was sure he didn’t own. Will fidgeted in the doorway of his own kitchen and cleared his throat, not knowing what to say. Hannibal smiled at Will over his shoulder as he wiped his hands on his apron.

“If you want to be useful you can set the table, after that just relax and wait for the food to be ready. Ok, Will?” Hannibal kept his pleasant smile in place and went back to making the food, not waiting for a reply from Will. Will nodded his head, even though Hannibal’s back was turned, and went about setting the table as best as his meager living allowed. Once that was done, Will went back to the living room to sit with the dogs; he felt like watching Hannibal work in the kitchen was something intimate and it made him uncomfortable to intrude.

A little while later, a smug looking Hannibal peered into the living room and called Will to come eat. Will knew Hannibal was describing the meal, telling him all the ingredients and fancy names for things, but Will was overwhelmed by how handsome Hannibal looked in his fine suits with his self-satisfied smile. Hannibal helped Will into his seat and then sat across from him at Will’s little table. Will became vaguely aware of Hannibal watching him, possibly waiting for the reply to a question Will had not paid attention to.

Will blushed and ducked his head as Hannibal simply raised an eyebrow.

“Will have you heard a thing I have been saying?” Hannibal knew the answer, he’d even admitted the meat was from a bratty teen who’d broken his eggs at the market earlier that week and Will had just kept smiling.

“Sorry, I was distracted. I’m so sorry. I really appreciate this, it all looks delicious.” Will took in the sight of the intricate meal Hannibal had been kind enough to prepare for him. Desperate to please Hannibal, Will dug into the meal, hoping it would prove his appreciation.

Hannibal paused his eating to watch Will gulp down food, he would have found it rude that he didn’t savor his meal, but Hannibal understood Will’s good intentions. In fact, Hannibal found it quite endearing how Will tore into the meat, oblivious and eager to please.

“Will, it is ok. Please enjoy your meal, you mustn’t rush on my behalf.” Will blushed and chewed more slowly, watching Hannibal under his lashes and trying to copy his pace. The food really was quite extraordinary, Will wasn’t sure he’d ever had a meal so delicious. They passed the rest of the meal in companionable silence as they ate. Once they’d eaten, Hannibal cleared the table and brought out desert.

Will grinned when he saw the blackberry cobbler. He grinned more at the thought of Hannibal baking with the help of animals like a Disney princess, rather than at the cobbler, but Hannibal didn’t need to know that. Will hummed his appreciation as he ate the cobbler; it was like nothing Will had eaten before.

“So, Abigail has been asking me about you recently. I think she is eager to put her old life behind her and hopes to create a new one. Dr. Bloom believes she shouldn’t become attached to us so soon, but I think we can help her cope. And I admit I am having some difficulty not allowing these new paternal feelings to guide my opinions on the matter. What would you say to having Abigail join us for lunch here in a couple of days? I know she’d like to meet your dogs, but I worry Harold might bring up bad memories.” Will finished his cobbler before he spoke, giving himself time to think.

“I’d love to have Abigail over, and I admit I would like her to become attached to us, since I know we both are quite invested in her. I want so badly to take care of her, but I am afraid to go against Alana’s judgment. I am not exactly stable, I don’t want to be a danger to her, but then again, I think Abigail knows how to take care of herself. More coddling might do more harm than good. Harold might be a problem, but then he might help her cope. If a friendly pet can replace her nightmares of antlers, then I think it’s worth the risk. We should let Abigail decide if she will join us or not.” Will handed his plate to Hannibal as he cleared the table again.

Hannibal nodded his agreement and went to place the dirty dishes in the sink. When he returned, Will was pacing along the wall. Hannibal stopped him and made Will look him in the eye.

“Will, this is a big deal for Abigail. If we do this we will be promising to take up roles in her new life and be there for her like parents. I am willing to do this, but I have no legal right to. You are her legal guardian, but I would like to be as well. Dual guardianship isn’t an option, so I would like your permission to be a part of her life, and fund her education, should she decide to go to university after all.” Will was shocked, and stared at Hannibal. Will studied the seriousness of Hannibal’s expression, and knew Hannibal cared as much for Abigail as he did.

“Hannibal, of course. I know you feel as responsible for Abigail as I do. You’re also more sane than me.” Will let out a harsh laugh. “In case I ever…lose myself, I hope you can step in and be there for Abigail. I don’t want to hurt her or have her lose her father twice.” Will stared pointedly at the floor and rubbed his neck when Hannibal smiled at him. He was caught off guard when Hannibal wrapped his arms around him and hugged him. It was only a brief hug, but Will turned bright red and struggled to repress the need to hug the man back.

Hannibal was too polite to focus on Will’s embarrassment or point out his awkwardness, and instead he asked if he might sit with Will and talk for a bit. Will nodded and led the way to the porch, the dogs followed. Will was glad he’d bought the pair of rocking chairs he had out on his porch, though he had never had someone sit with him before. Hannibal didn’t comment on the dust that had gathered on the chair next to Will’s, but was secretly pleased to be one of the few, possibly the only, person to sit with Will on his porch.

Harold watched the two talk and rock back and forth in sync in their chairs surrounded by dogs. Finally, feeling left out, he got up and walked over to them, only to lie down again at their feet, cuddling up with the dogs.

Will was startled, and touched, when Harold moved over to be near them. Hannibal was curious about the strange stag, and amused by its personality. It watched them with glittering eyes as the sun began to set. Will was so happy in that moment, watching the sun set, next to Hannibal, and surrounded by his furry family. The only thing that could make it better would be if Abigail were with them.

Will realized too late that he was starting to include Hannibal in his strange family, and that he really didn’t want Hannibal to leave. Will turned his head just a little, to watch Hannibal more closely. Hannibal was leaning back against the chair as he rocked, and his eyes were closed. He looked relaxed and peaceful, not his usual purposefully neutral expression that sometimes made Will uncomfortable. _He really is quite handsome_ , Will thought as he admired Hannibal’s carefully slicked hair and fancy suit. As if sensing Will was thinking about him, Hannibal opened his eyes and sat up.

“I’m sorry Will, it appears a good meal and good company make me drowsy. I had better get home, we both have work tomorrow. Why don’t we plan to have Abigail join us for lunch on Saturday?” Hannibal stood slowly and brushed his clothes off.

“Right, of course. Thank you for coming. I look forward to Saturday. If you like you can leave all the stuff you brought here, that way you don’t have to bring so many supplies for Saturday.” Will rung his hands to avoid reaching out to Hannibal. He really wanted to hug Hannibal and ask him to stay forever on his porch with him and his pets. But that would be too much.

“Thank you, I think I will do that. I have plenty of supplies at home so I won’t need these any time soon and that will make my next trip here less difficult. I’m glad I could cook for you Will, I can’t wait to see you again.” Hannibal leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Will’s cheek. By the time Will was out of shock, Hannibal was already driving away.

***

Will had trouble falling asleep that night, he tossed and turned so much that eventually he admitted defeat and went out to sit with Harold on the porch. It wasn’t as nice as before when Hannibal was with him, but if he didn’t focus on the empty seat beside him, he could almost believe Hannibal was still there. At some point Will dozed off, because when he woke up the dogs were whining in the house and Harold was nudging him awake.

Will noticed the sun was already up and rushed in the house to feed the dogs. Once he fed them, Will made himself a quick batch of scrambled eggs and some microwave bacon. With breakfast done and a quick shower, Will dashed out the door to his car and on to teach his class. Will tried not to be distracted, but the simple fact that he was being distracted by something pleasant, like Hannibal, made Will glad to be distracted. He almost felt normal.

Most of Will’s week passed in a similar manner. He’d wake up, go to classes, think about Hannibal, then go home and think about Hannibal, and have trouble falling asleep thinking about Hannibal. Will honestly didn’t mind, it was so refreshing to be temporarily free of serial killers’ mentalities that he wasn’t even bothered by his lack of sleep. Sure there was Wednesday when Will had to consult on another Ripper case, but Will hadn’t seen Hobbs in a while and no amount of missing organs was going to completely get him down. Ok, well that wasn’t quite true, but Will held that the sentiment was true.

Will had a brief session with Hannibal on Thursday, about the Ripper case he’d consulted on the day before, but Will was so happy to see Hannibal again that he was mostly just flustered the entire time. Will didn’t want to talk about the Ripper, but Hannibal made some valid points about the Ripper selling organs, and Will made sure to suggest it to Beverly later. Other than that, Hannibal deferred to Will and they discussed what Will wanted, which was Harold. Neither man could decide what subspecies of deer Harold might be, but they resolved to mention him to no one lest Harold be taken from Will and studied in a lab.

Will was extra awkward at the end of their session when he couldn’t decide if kissing Hannibal on the cheek at his office was unethical or if it was to be their normal farewell from then on, but Hannibal saved him the trouble of deciding. As Will pulled on his jacket before exiting the room, Hannibal stood in front of Will and placed his hand on Will’s elbow. Will froze and blushed, then stared at Hannibal’s tie, too embarrassed to make eye contact. Will had a funny feeling Hannibal could read his mind when they made eye contact. Hannibal chuckled and pulled Will’s chin up before placing a feather light kiss on Will’s lips. Will would have thought he imagined it, except Hannibal’s cheeks were a rosy pink as he opened the door for Will to leave.

Will wasn’t sure what to do about this new development, so naturally he allowed all manner of possibilities to pass through his mind for the rest of the week. Will was happy, and felt like he was walking on clouds. The thought of Hannibal could chase away his darkest nightmares. That wasn’t to say that Will was all sane and healthy, he did sleepwalk into his kitchen Friday night and try to set the table, and he dropped a glass which shattered and cut up his foot. But Will chalked it up to being eager for Saturday when he would have Hannibal and Abigail over for lunch.

On Saturday Will was a bundle of excitement and nervousness. He felt hot and cold all at once and a couple of times he worried he’d be sick to his stomach with how anxious he was to have Abigail be happy in his house. To settle himself down, Will took the dogs for a walk around the yard and Harold trailed along behind. Once he was back at the house, Will had only a few hours before Hannibal would arrive with Abigail, so he set to grooming all the dogs and even brushed Harold for as long as the stag would tolerate.

Will heard the telltale crunch of Hannibal’s tires on his gravel drive and rushed to put away the dog brushes. He suddenly regretted not cleaning the house more or ironing his clothes, but then Abigail had seen him before and knew he’d only be pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Will took a deep breath and opened the door.

Hannibal helped Abigail out of the car and led her slowly towards Will and Harold. She was staring, fixated on Harold, but Hannibal whispered something in her ear and she relaxed. Once close enough to touch him, she reached out a slender palm. Harold didn’t disappoint Will, he sniffed her tapered fingers and lowered his head to be scratched. Abigail jumped when Harold’s prongs faced towards her, but Hannibal’s hand on her shoulder steadied her and Will encouraged her to pet him. She smiled as the stag leaned into her touch.  

“Alright, we better get inside or these ingredients will grow old.” Hannibal smiled at Will and followed him into the house. Abigail pouted, retracting her hands from the stag, but followed behind Hannibal obediently. As they entered the house, the dogs swarmed around Abigail. She was shocked by the number of dogs Will had, and the obvious toll they took on his home, but she was amused by them, and found she was quite fond of all of the furry bodies crowding her. Will listed off names, but she only remembered Winston; she decided he was the sweetest dog.

Hannibal squeezed Will’s shoulder and nodded in Abigail’s direction before retreating to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Will approached Abigail cautiously and asked her to sit with him on the couch. She nodded and sat obligingly. Will noted she didn’t sit very close to him, but she wasn’t too far and her body language didn’t indicate that she wanted to block him out. He gave her a smile and asked how she was doing and if Alana had given her an estimate for how long before she could be released.

“Alana Bloom says I can be out in a month or so, depending on weather I start escaping to Hannibal again or not. I won’t now, I know it won’t help me get away in the long run.” She twisted the ends of her sweater in her hands and watched Will closely. “I’m really glad you asked me here Will, I wasn’t sure if your paternal feelings were just temporary. I don’t want you to become my dad, he was crazy and thinking like him has messed you up a lot. But I wouldn’t mind a new dad. You can be completely different. A new family, that way I don’t have to remember my old dad any more.” Will blushed and ducked his head to hide the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

“Abigail”, he finally managed, “I am so glad you said that. I want to be here for you, however you need. I know you have your own plans for your future, but I was thinking that maybe you could come live with me for a bit once your free to go. I have a spare room you can set up however you want, I mean, you don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to. I just thought maybe, if you don’t run off to university right away or something, you could be sure you’d have a place to stay, where you wouldn’t be alone.” Will took Abigail’s hands in his and waited for her reply.

What felt like a century later to Will, Abigail squeezed his hand back and smiled.

“Ok Will, thank you. I won’t call you dad though, ok. And I want Hannibal to visit whenever I want.” Abigail stared at Will, daring him to contradict her. Will sighed, she would be a handful. Fortunately, Will was happy to agree to the last term.

“I’d like Hannibal to visit as well, so don’t worry. And you don’t have to call me anything you don’t want to. Just Will is fine.” Abigail smile was bright and sincere as she gave his hands an extra squeeze before letting go.

“If it makes any difference, I am happy to join you two as often as you like.” Hannibal stood in the doorway and smiled at Abigail’s wide eyes and Will’s red face.

 Will was suddenly struck by how perfect Hannibal looked with his shirtsleeves rolled up and the white apron tied around his waist. He was standing before he knew it and walking determinedly toward Hannibal. Will almost lost his nerve once he was directly in front of Hannibal, but he’d already come so far he decided to take a chance. Will pulled Hannibal to him and kissed him tenderly, hoping that Hannibal could interpret all his affection as he intended. Will thought he would melt when Hannibal kissed him back.

A loud cough from Abigail broke them apart, and even Hannibal had the decency to look embarrassed. Will hid his face in Hannibal’s shirt and Hannibal traced lazy circles on Will’s lower back.

“You know, I thought I’d be free of the awkward moments between my parents, but then you two just have to go and fall in love. Seriously you guys, when were you going to tell me y’all were a couple. I’d have been so much more at ease about reentering the world if I’d known you both were going to be with me.” Abigail tried to look angry but she was too pleased to see them together that she had trouble hiding her smile.

“Oh, well we only, I mean we just…” Will flushed and didn’t know what to say.

“We only just found that we both had feelings for each other.” Hannibal supplied as he wrapped his arms around Will.

“So does that make you guys like, boyfriends?” Abigail snickered and tried not to sound insulting, but the word “boyfriend” and her two new dads just didn’t seem to go together. Hannibal looked momentarily affronted.

“Abigail, don’t use such a trivial word to refer to your new fathers. We are…well we are partners for now.” Will looked up at Hannibal, surprised; he knew that Hannibal chose his words very carefully. Will flushed and tried not to get his hopes up. _Maybe Hannibal would propose, or maybe they should go out on actual dates first_ , Will thought as he relished the feeling of Hannibal’s arms around him.

“Alright, alright, you two. I’m guessing you came out here to tell us the food is ready, so lets eat.” Abigail pretended to be annoyed and stormed over to the table Hannibal had already set. Will gave Hannibal a quick kiss and then sat down, followed by a very smug looking Hannibal.


	2. Alana knows

Ch.2

To Will and his furry family, it was a great pleasure to have Abigail come for visits whenever Alana approved. Will and Hannibal hadn’t said anything yet, but Alana seemed to know they were together and gave them little smiles whenever she noticed them standing near each other at a crime scene or when they went to visit Abigail. Will was glad she was happy for them, but he couldn’t understand how she suspected when they were careful to remain professional in front of others. Will meant to talk to Hannibal about telling Alana about them and their plans to take in Abigail as soon as she was released, but somehow Will always ended up forgetting. It just might have had something to do with how fine Hannibal looked whenever they went out together, or even when they just stayed in and sat on Will’s porch.

When an opportunity presented itself, Will decided to go ahead and talk to Alana on his own. Hannibal would surely think it was wise to tell Alana ahead of time so she could have time to consider their idea and adjust her view of Abigail’s situation.

Alana peeked into Will’s classroom and smiled at him as the last students filed out. Will beckoned her over and tried not to be too nervous. Alana’s heels clicked as she made her way to his desk. She smiled and sat on his desk, giving him a look like she already knew why she was here. Will knew she suspected he and Hannibal were dating so she knew part of the reason, but they needed to discuss Abigail too.

“Hey Alana.” Will greeted her as he moved to sit on his desk next to her.

“Hey Will.” Alana’s smile was bright and Will felt himself relax a little as he prepared to speak. He took a deep breath and got ready to speak, but Alana put a hand on his and interrupted.

“Relax Will, you look like you’re about to confess to knowing the Chesapeake Ripper. I know you and Hannibal are dating; it’s very obvious from all the little hand brushes and secret glances. Honestly, I’m a bit insulted you didn’t think you could tell me sooner. You know I’m your friend first and foremost Will, I want to support you in what makes you happy. Clearly Hannibal does. And frankly, the two of you are pretty adorable to watch.” Her golden smile shined on Will again and he felt a rush of affection for the woman who’d always treated him like a normal person and supported him. He was grateful to whatever gods put Alana Bloom on the earth to be his friend.

“Thanks Alana, and I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. It’s just new for me, you know? I haven’t dated in a long while...I’ve been too unstable.” Alana gave his hand a gentle squeeze and offered a sympathetic smile. “Actually, telling you Hannibal and I are dating isn’t the only reason I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to talk to you about something I want to do, but I want to know if you think it’d be too soon.” Will glanced down at his knees where they bent over the edge of the desk and fidgeted as he tried to find the best way to present his plan to Alana.

“Oh Will!” Alana chuckled. “Please don’t tell me you need advice in your sex life. If you feel uncomfortable because you don’t...you know...know how to _be_ with a guy I’m sure you can just tell Hannibal and he will take things slowly and teach you.” Alana’s light blush and sincere expression mortified Will and he struggled to speak. Finally he just hid his face in his hands and laughed.

“No. God Alana! Why would you...oh god. Anyways! No. I wanted to say Hannibal and I both care for Abigail and since I am her legal guardian we thought we might provide Abigail with a new family when she is released. I know you think she doesn’t need a replacement family so soon, but Hannibal and I disagree. We haven’t discussed all the details but Hannibal wants to provide for her education and Abigail agreed she’d like to move in with me once you approve her release. Hannibal and I haven’t decided if he would move in or anything yet, but he would be around a lot anyways so he would be a stable comfort in Abigail’s life. Plus, Abigail loves the dogs and Harold. I think they help her.” Will finished in a rush and studied the slightly stunned expression on Alana’s face.

“Oh. So you’ve talked to Abigail about it already? That’s good I guess...I mean, I really think staying in the hospital is best for her, but she’s been a lot more positive lately and I’ve seen obvious improvements in her. I guess that’s because she has something to look forward to when she gets well enough to leave. Will...I don’t know. The whole situation is screwy, if you forgive my unprofessional phrasing, but...give me some time to think about it. Ok? I want to keep an eye on Abigail and when it gets closer to the time for her to go then I will consider the idea again. Maybe all she needs is a little support again. I don’t know Will...” She tugged on the ends of her hair in thought and Will watched the curls be pulled straight and then bounce back again, all the while chanting in his head,

“She didn’t say no!”

“Wait a minute...who is Harold?” Alana gave him a searching look and paused her hair tugging to stare the truth out of him.

“Uh...well...ehehe...he’s a new pet.” Will grinned sheepishly but Alana just stared harder. “Ok, ok, so he’s a deer.”

“A wha- oh. A stag then. You have a pet stag? Has Abigail met him already? That could be triggering! Will that poor girl.” Alana’s face fell in empathy and Will rushed to reassure her.

“No, Alana, it’s ok. They already met and Abigail took it really well. I think it helped her see that Harold is friendly and she isn’t afraid of him. I was worried too, but it all turned out ok.” Alana studied his face for any signs of lying and let out a little smile. “It’s fine, really. She’s making new, happy memories. I think it’s good for her, she’s starting to move on.”

“Well, ok. I agree; she’s been a lot better. Poor girl. She’s a good girl, manipulative I admit, but a sweet girl at heart. You know she’s going to be a handful, right? Once she adjusts to being around you she’ll treat you like most kids treat their parents. She’ll give you a lot of sass and date boys you don’t approve of and she’ll never help with dishes or laundry. Do you think you can handle that? I personally can’t wait to see Hannibal’s face when she begins to sass him. You two will be in over your heads before you know it. What will you do when she decides to go off to college? I know she’s bound to take a few years before applying again but eventually she will want to go.”

“I am certain she will be a handful, but I know we will all be happier together. I really think a family is what she and I both need and I think it would work well for us. I’ll definitely be sad for her to move out and into a dorm when that day comes, but normal families don’t stop being families when their kids go to school, why should we? Anyways, Hannibal and I will be proud of her.” Will felt himself growing increasingly attached to the mental image of Hannibal proof reading Abigail’s college essays and helping her move in to her dorm.

“Hmmm. Well, like I said, let’s give it some time, and in a month or two I will talk to Abigail about it and see about finalizing any plans then.”

“Wait...so you think it’s a good idea?” Will felt a smile stretch across his face so wide his cheeks ached.

“I said we would see. I like the idea. I do, for both you and Abigail’s sake, even Hannibal’s, but let me think about it some more. This is Abigail’s future and I don’t want to rush anything.” Will’s smile didn’t fade though and Alana gave his hand another squeeze before she slipped off his desk. “Alright Will, I need to get going now but this has been a good talk. I will think over what you proposed. Ok?”

“Alright Alana.” Will slid off his desk and walked her to the door. “See you later then.”

“Bye Will. Say “Hi” to Hannibal for me.” Alana snickered and clicked her way down the hall in her heels.

Will smiled to himself and ran a hand through his hair. He decided to tell Hannibal about his talk with Alana that afternoon when they had dinner. Hannibal would agree that it was a good idea to let Alana in on their plan for the future, and maybe they’d talk about their own future together a little more as well. Will liked that; thinking about his future with Hannibal made him happier than he thought it was possible for him to be.


	3. Confessions and Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner and a misunderstanding, as well as a missing somebody.

Ch. 3

“Hi Hannibal.” William greeted the blond as he came up the porch steps with a handful of supplies. Harold blew a breath in their general direction from his space on the porch and then went back to napping.

“Hello Will. I brought a lot so I hope you won’t mind taking leftovers for lunch the rest of the week. I’ll just go set up in the kitchen. Please relax in the meantime and take the dogs for a walk or something, I fear the smells from the kitchen will make them overly rambunctious.” Hannibal gave Will’s cheek a quick peck as he passed him and went to prepare their dinner. Will blushed and nodded before summoning his pack.

They whined a little, wanting to go sniff Hannibal and check for treats hidden in fancy pockets, but Will opened the door and they couldn’t resists the prospect of a walk, despite the winter chill. Will gave Hannibal a little wave as he ushered his pack of strays outside. Harold woke from his nap, curious about all the noise, and followed behind Will at an ambling gate.

The dogs ran ahead, chasing anything that moved and then rushing back when their hunt proved fruitless. Harold, not wanting to be left behind, eventually sped up to keep pace with Will. Will kept an eye on the dogs, but most of his attention was on Harold. He still wasn’t sure what to do about the stag. Harold was already quite dear to Will, but keeping a wild animal didn’t settle well with him.

Will tried to rationalize it, and decided it wasn’t bad to have Harold around as long as he didn’t begin to depend too much on him and the dogs. Harold couldn’t come to expect food or water from Will, and Will wouldn’t train him like a dog or give him more than a little petting now and again. This, Will rationalized, was necessary because all animals touch each other to show affection, and he wanted Harold to know he was welcome around the house.

As if sensing Will’s train of thought, Harold stepped daintily through the light snow to stand next to Will. He cocked his head and pinned Will with his large dark eyes. Will smiled sheepishly at the stag, feeling suddenly guilty. _Why should I feel guilty?_ Will frowned in thought. _Maybe he doesn’t like that I am deciding what our relationship will be like?_ Harold huffed a cloudy breath and then stretched out his neck to nuzzle at Will’s shoulder. Will reached up a hand and stroked Harold’s face; smoothing the fur as it spiraled out from his whorl.

“Who am I to decide anything for you, right? I’m just some human, no better than you. You can make up your own mind, and I get the feeling you prefer to do so.” Will laughed when Harold pressed back on his hand to remind him to keep petting. He, of course, complied with the stag’s wishes.

The dogs grew restless, not used to such long breaks on their walks. They crowded Will and Harold and then shot off ahead, eager to explore farther. Getting the idea, Harold leaped along behind them, leaving Will in shock. Will watched the larger dark animal bound after his motley pack and had to grin at the strangeness of it all. Feeling unusually light and happy, Will jogged to catch up.

Noticing their human was finally moving; the dogs looped back around and fell into step with him. Harold, confused, paused farther ahead and waited for the human and dogs to catch up to him. Will and the dogs continued to jog messily through the thin layer of snow and past Harold, leaving a layer of muddy sludge behind them. Eager to follow the cues of his new companions, Harold again rushed to bound along with them looking slightly unsure since there seemed to be no destination in mind.

Will was nearly out of breath and paused the dogs after some distance to take a break. Panting bodies swarmed his legs and tails of varying lengths and heights thumped against his legs. Will laughed and took deep breaths of the chilly air. Suddenly, the dogs’ ears all perked up and Harold turned to look back at the house.

Hannibal stood on Will’s little porch and waved at them. Will waved back and patted some of the nearby furry bodies before starting up a steady jog back to the house. Hannibal nodded and went back inside. Seeing it was time to go back home, most of the dogs hurtled back to the house, only Winston stayed at a slower pace, close to Will. Harold leaped ahead with the pack but stopped now and again for Will and Winston to catch up before bounding ahead again on powerful legs.

***

Will huffed and puffed his way up the steps and tried not to trip over dogs as he opened the front door. Harold was smart and decided to stay back and out of the way, staying out in the yard. Will struggled to slow his breathing as he hung up his coat and kicked off his muddy boots by the door. The pleasant aroma of Hannibal’s cooking spilled into every crevice of the house and Will felt his mouth watering as he ran a hand self-consciously through his hair. Extremely aware of how sweaty and disheveled he had become, Will prepared to excuse himself quickly before sitting down for dinner.

As if he had read Will’s mind, Hannibal appeared around the corner and silently pulled Will along behind him into the kitchen. Will’s hands felt like ice in the burning heat of Hannibal’s smooth palms. Will was aware of every bit of dirt, every animal hair, and each rapidly cooling drop of sweat that made its way down his arm and onto his hands. Hannibal’s grip tightened as Will subconsciously sought to free his hands and hide them from his partner.

“Settle down Will. You need only wash your hands.” With that, Hannibal led Will to the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet, keeping one hand over Will’s. After testing the water, Hannibal led Will up next to him and held his hands under the water. As the warm water ran over his skin, Hannibal used the dog-shaped soap dispenser Will had to pump some of the lavender soap into his palm. Will stood in a sort of shock as Hannibal began to scrub his hands; cleaning them meticulously until his skin was shiny and smelled faintly of lavender. For Will, it was like an out of body experience and he smiled unfocusedly at the blond man next to him.

Hannibal glanced up at Will once both their hands were clean, and was amused by Will’s expression. He bushed some of the more unruly locks out of Will’s face, and smoothed down a few at the top of Will’s head before kissing him lightly on the cheek. Will was startled back to reality then, and he blushed as he mumbled an apology for his appearance.

“My dearest William, you need not apologize to me. I adore you just as you are. Now come, let us eat.” Hannibal guided a blushing Will to his seat and pulled out his chair for him. As he passed his seated companion, Hannibal trailed his fingertips across Will’s arm and the back of his hand. Will ducked his head and laughed.

“Hannibal, are you trying to seduce me?” Will’s cheeks burned, but he was glad he had enough courage to tease and sass Hannibal when he deserved it.

“Why Will, I thought it was a given.” Hannibal grinned and took his own seat, clearly pleased with himself. Will shook his head in disbelief and asked what they were eating. “It’s lamb’s tongue. Have you had it before, Will?”

“No, I can’t say that I have. You really spoil me you know that, right? How can I ever go back to eating my usual frozen, canned, and highly processed meals?” Will savored his first bite and hummed his approval.

“Well, I hope that, eventually, I will have the privilege of cooking for you all the time.” Will swallowed quickly and stared at Hannibal across the table. Hannibal’s smile was soft, and strangely vulnerable. His eyes gazed back at Will’s, trying to gage his reaction.

Will was struck by the sudden need to cough.

Hannibal rushed to his side of the table and offered him wine. Will drank it quickly as soon as he was able to suppress his cough long enough for a drink. He coughed a few more times to clear his throat before relaxing into his seat. Hannibal kneeled next to him with an empty glass of wine and a worried expression. Will covered his face with his hands and laughed.

“I’m so sorry. That wasn’t the reaction I wanted to have.” Will ran his hands down his face and looked over at Hannibal.

“I am sorry, I should have given you more time to chew your food.” Hannibal smiled softly and ran a hand along Will’s jaw. “I am sorry if it is too sudden, but I must tell you. I love you William. And I hope, as soon as Abigail is released, that we can begin our lives together. As a family.”

Will wondered for the briefest of seconds if his mind was playing tricks on him. Then he felt Hannibal’s lips brush his, and he stopped worrying.  It was a tender kiss, but cut short, as Will pulled back so he might express himself more clearly before he forgot that Hannibal couldn’t actually read his mind.

“Hannibal, I love you too. You’d been my paddle as I’ve been swept away by my mind, and you have led me back home, to myself. I have felt more stable these past few weeks than I can remember being and I think, soon Abigail and I will both be free to begin our new lives. It would be my greatest pleasure to share my life with you and Abigail.”

“I don’t know Will, I can think of some very pleasurable things for us both.” Will nearly choked again but relaxed and admired the genuine smile brightening Hannibal’s face. Not that Will was any different, but he noticed Hannibal’s glistening eyes and was touched by the expression of such pure emotion. Hannibal was always to in control of himself. Will saved this moment mentally, and felt his heart near to bursting with affection.

***

They both leapt to their feet as the dogs rushed, barking to the door. A loud banging sounded, and Will recognized Jack Crawford’s signature knock. Hannibal stood to the side as Will sighed and rushed to get the door. Dogs scattered as Jack shoved into the room.

“Will, I need to speak to you! Have you not heard the last five calls I left you? I was so wo—oh Dr. Lecter. Hello.” Jack paused and glanced at the dinner table, set with candles and hardly eaten meals. “I must apologize, I see I’ve disrupted something. Alana left me a message earlier saying I needed to talk to you because you had something important to share. I assumed it was very urgent and became worried.” Jack stood awkwardly surrounded by dogs until Will gestured for him to have a seat on the couch.

“You have just disrupted my dinner with Will, but I suppose you had his best interest in mind, so I am not offended. However, I must wonder at what Alana suggested.” Hannibal smoothed his suit and stood closer to Will.

As if on cue, Alana barged into the house, Abigail in tow. They both had worried looks but settled down once everyone turned to look at them.

“Hannibal, Will, I am sorry to interrupt but I was out shopping with Abigail and I hadn’t realized until I checked my phone that Jack had assumed the worst and had even left me panicked voice messages.” Alana ushered Abigail onto the seat next to Jack, and then sat down next to her.

“This is clearly a big misunderstanding on my part. But since we are all here I hope you don’t mind if I ask for an explanation.” Jack patted Winston’s head absentmindedly as he spoke.

“Well, what I meant is that a...current development in Will’s social life...may be important for you to be aware of. And I just thought that maybe, you could talk to Will at some point and...show some support. I only realized this morning that Will seemed uncomfortable sharing this information, and I thought it would be good for him to see that, you know, we have his back.” Alana smiled at Hannibal and Will, looking slightly apologetic. “Clearly, I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“That’s ok Alana. I know you always want what’s best for others. I suppose it is relevant to Jack’s interest since it involves Hannibal and Jack was the one who asked me to work with him.” Will chewed his lip nervously, but relaxed when Hannibal took his hand in his.

“Will and I are...dating. We are partners and eventually we want to take Abigail in as our daughter.” Hannibal’s face appeared relaxed, but his eyes were hard as he stared at Jack. Jack laughed.

“What? Are you serious? When did it start? I haven’t noticed anything. Will needs psychiatric help and now you can’t fulfill that job. This can compromise Will and his contribution to cases.” Jack began to look angry.

“Actually, you made Hannibal more of a consultant, he’s not officially my psychiatrist. I don’t believe it really matters then. I hope you’re ok with this Jack. I do appreciate your support.” Will gripped Hannibal’s hand back tightly as Jack laughed again.

“Will, I wish you didn’t think so poorly of me. I suppose you’re right about Hannibal, and now I am wondering if you didn’t have something like this in mind all along when you rejected to see a psychiatrist. But never mind that. I fully support you two. You also Hannibal. As you are both valued friends and colleagues, I just hope that, should this ever become a white dress and tux event, that I be somebody’s best man. If not, I will be very disappointed. “ Jack gave them both a hard stare for extra measure, then smiled. “Now, tell me more about adopting this young lady.” He turned to Abigail who blushed when she found she was the focus of the entire room.

“Uh. Well, I don’t think I should be living on my own and I am almost ready to leave the hospital. Will and Hannibal really understand me and can give me the support I need.” Abigail tugged at her sleeves and she spoke and her eyes kept flicking back and forth between Will and Hannibal.

“And they have my support in taking her in when the time comes. I think it will be very good for all of them. They can keep an eye on her, make sure she will adjust back to society.” Alana interjected, knowing Jack still suspected Abigail of assisting her father and didn’t want her far from supervision.

“Huh.” Jack rubbed a hand across his face. “Well that sounds like a good deal, and if both of the esteemed psychiatrists approve, who am I to argue.” Jack chuckled. “I never thought I’d see Will with a family, but it oddly suits. Just don’t ask me for help when she starts sassing you two. I have no experience with kids and I don’t want to hear your whining when you find out what it’s like.” Jack’s phone buzzed and he glanced down to read a text. “Alright, well, enjoy the rest of your dinner. I have to get home, Bella wants to make an effort to communicate with me more and spend some time together. I’ll see you three at work later, and Abigail, good to see you looking like a normal girl.” Jack patted Will on the shoulder and headed out the door.

Everyone was silent until the sound of Jack’s tires had disappeared.

“So, Will. Wasn’t there supposed to be a stag outside?”


	4. Dinner with the family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harold is missing and dinner has gotten cold, but hearts can still be warmed.

Ch. 4

“Harold! He wasn’t out there?” Will ran to put his coat and boots on and gratefully accepted a flashlight from Hannibal who realized it had gotten dark out. Will felt a heavy cold knot settle in his stomach as he searched around the edges of the house for any sign of Harold. He ran back and forth, churning up snow in a frantic effort to get to Harold quicker. He didn’t see the stag anywhere near the house and ran back to let the dogs out, hoping they would help him find the stag.

Everyone in the living room went out to stand shivering on the porch when Will called the dogs out. Will was so panicked he couldn’t focus and hadn’t thought to look for tracks to follow. He ran out farther hoping to see any unspoiled tracks, but had no luck. He hoped the dogs would find the stag but they just ran out to pee in various spots around the house and then wandered back to the porch acting bored. Will felt tears dripping from his eyes and half-heartedly wiped them away.

He was startled when a small, gloved hand touched his elbow. Will turned shaking from the cold and from his panic, expecting Alana, but found Abigail instead. Her large eyes looked too blue in her cold pale face and her freckles stood out like ink on parchment. Will felt guilty for causing everyone to be out in the cold. She gave him a soft smile and he noticed the small teardrops trapped in her mascaraed lashes. Realizing he wasn’t the only one who had grown attached to the stag, Will felt himself calming down. He should comfort Abigail, he thought. _Act like a worthy father_.

Will wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and tried to offer the girl a smile. He knew she wouldn’t blame him when it came out more of a grimace. Delicate hands slowly wrapped around his arm and she stood closer to him as she steered him back to the house. Will wasn’t sure how to show paternal affection, not having had a good example growing up, but he felt that a hug would be appropriate. As they crunched through the mucky snow back to the porch, Will carefully pulled his arm loose of her grip and tucked her under his arm. He noted her coat wasn’t warm enough and she had left her scarf in the house. He unzipped his jacket and pulled her closer to half shield her with it.

Alana was huddled against Hannibal’s side on the porch, and when they drew closer she rushed forward to wrap Abigail in her own coat. Hannibal stopped her though, as soon as he saw her intentions. Alana rushed back inside to warm up, and Hannibal swooped down on them to bundle Abigail in the heavy wool of his coat. Abigail thanked him and rushed after Alana into the house. Will moved to follow them, but Hannibal held him back.

Will turned to him questioningly, but Hannibal simple pulled him into a hug. Will hadn’t realized how badly he needed to be comforted until then, and clung to Hannibal as a few more tears slide down his cheeks. Will pulled away quickly and wiped his eyes when he remembered that Hannibal now stood coatless in the winter air. Hannibal showed no sign of being cold however, and walked causally with Will into the house, even lingering in the cold so he could hold the door for Will.

***

Once all four people were inside and Will was certain that all dogs were accounted for, they all sat down. Will, Abigail, and Alana took the couch and Hannibal sat in Will’s armchair looking overly sophisticated for his surroundings. Alana was soothing a sullen looking Abigail while Will fidgeted nervously on his side of the couch unsure of what to do.

“Will, I’m sure Harold is only going to be away for a little while. He probably got spooked by Jack’s car and just needs time to come around again.” Alana spoke to Will, but her words were also for Abigail.

“I agree with Alana. Harold knows he is welcome, and when he is no longer frightened, we will no doubt have a stag on the porch again. He’s made it this long in the wild, I’m sure he can manage one more time. You shouldn’t stress yourself William.” Will nodded slowly, then with more conviction.

“You’re right, of course. It really is silly to worry about him. I’m sure he’s fine.” Will gave a nervous smile and tried to relax into the couch. Hannibal stood from the chair and walked over to the dining table.

“Alana, Abigail, would you both like to join us for dinner? We had barely begun to eat and I made more than enough for all of us.”

“Oh! Yes please,” responded Abigail, suddenly brightening. “I’m pretty hungry.” She blushed when everyone smiled at her eagerness and started tugging at her sleeves again.

“I took her shopping today, but I wouldn’t stop to get lunch at the food court in the mall. The food there is atrocious and I hadn’t expected to be out shopping quite so long.” Alana calmly untucked the overly stretched material of Abigail’s sleeves from her small fist. Though Abigail’s grip was painfully strong and clammy, Alana gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.

“I am relieved to hear it, that food is quite unsuitable for a growing woman.” Hannibal gave Abigail a light smile and turned to deal with the food. “I am sorry to say the food will be reheated, but I believe its quality will still be worthwhile.”

“Mmmm, well we look forward to it.” Alana reached across Abigail and gave Will’s arm a squeeze as well. “I’m going to bring some of Abigail’s purchases in and she can show you what she bought after we’ve eaten. Would you like that Abigail?”

“Um. I guess?” Alana went to get the clothes. Abigail blushed, but kept her hands firmly in her lap, determined not to destroy her sleeves more. She admitted to herself that Alana’s idea was good, but she didn’t like admitting that she wanted to show off and seek approval like a normal daughter would. It made her feel strange, like a fake; just pretending her real dad never happened.

Alana stumbled in with a number of bags overflowing with new clothes. She flushed and laughed at Will’s shocked face and Hannibal’s look of confusion when he peeked out from the kitchen. Even the dogs had perked up their ears as they watched her.

“Sorry, some stuff I bought is mixed in the bags too. I wasn’t going to stand out in the cold separating it all.” She placed the various bags down with a sigh of relief and laughed when she stretched and her back popped. “Oh wow, I think my age is catching up with me.” She plopped down on the couch with exaggerated relief. Abigail laughed at her, as Alana had intended. Will laughed too, but Hannibal came out of the kitchen to set the table and gave Alana a stern look.

“No jokes about old age, please. I am the oldest person in this house and I don’t like being reminded of it.” Everyone laughed at that, knowing Hannibal was teasing. “Now, that’s enough. Come eat, dinner is served. I don’t want this getting cold again.” Will and Hannibal returned to the seats they occupied previously, and Alana and Abigail took seats on opposite side of the table from each other.

***

Hannibal hoped to introduce the meal he had made, but the other three were so hungry that they ate quickly and quietly beside the sounds of approval now and again. His eye twitched is slight irritation, but he was pleased that they all were enjoying the meal. He filed away the image of them eating together to fuel sweet dreams of his growing family later.

***

Abigail finished first, and waited until she heard everyone else’s utensils scraping up the last of their meals. When she was sure everyone was done, she jumped out of her seat and offered to clean up the table. Alana looked at her, surprised, and Will quickly stood to do it himself saying she was a guest, but Hannibal silenced him with a look.

“That is extremely thoughtful Abigail, of course you may help clean up. Will, why don’t you help her while Alana and I talk in the living room?” Will looked like he wanted to argue, but then nodded his agreement. It was valuable time he could spend with her, Hannibal was right, of course.

As Will and Abigail began carrying things to the kitchen to clean, Hannibal offered Alana his arm and led her to the living room. She sat on the couch next to him and leaned back, patting her stomach and sighing.

“Thank you for dinner, though I think I should have eaten slower. Or maybe a smaller portion.” Hannibal smiled, knowing Alana only meant it as a compliment to his cooking and not an insult to her own weight.

“I must admit I don’t have anything in mind for us to discuss. I just wanted Will and Abigail to have more time alone together before she moves in. I don’t want them to be at all uncomfortable when she comes to stay with us. Especially since she will live in Will’s home, she needs to be at ease. Abigail, due to her previous escaping tactics has had much more time to adjust to me.” Alana nodded sagely, agreeing that it would be good for both Abigail and Will.

“Well in the mean time we should talk about something. What would you like to talk about Hannibal? I feel like we never get to talk about anything but work together.”

“I believe you are correct, Alana. That is a shame, I respect you a great deal, I’m sure we can find more than crimes and psychiatry to discuss. I wanted to ask you about all this clothing you bought for Abigail. If you would allow me, I’d like to give you back the money you spent. I am certain it was no small sum.” Hannibal eyed the numerous plastic bags near their feet.

“No. Thank you, but no. I used up all the gift cards I receive but never seem to use, so any of my own money I spent was probably only enough to have covered the things I bought for myself. Besides, think of it as gifts to make up for all the years that we haven’t known her. I’d like to think of myself as a cool young aunt who gives great presents.” Alana laughed and smoothed out her skirt. “I know you and Will are going to want a lot of time with her when she is released, but I’d like to see her now and again too. And not only to check up on her mental and emotional state either. I hope that, when she’s more settled in, you will allow her to visit me once in a while. I think Beverly and I can form a sort of girls’ night so she can have some female support too.”

“That would be good for her, and I don’t think Will would disagree with me when I say you are always welcome here or to borrow Abigail. I’m sure she will have certain things that she would prefer to talk to other women about, and I would be grateful to you for being there for her.” Hannibal smiled at Alana, pleased to know Abigail would have a good role model outside of himself and Will.

“I hope she will form some friends of her own, eventually, but since she’s likely to take some time before applying for university, I can’t imagine she’ll have many opportunities to meet any other young people. Until she has her own friend group, and even after, she is welcome to hang out with me when she wants to get out of the house.”

“You are very generous Alana, and I know Will and I are both grateful. Abigail will probably seek excitement, as young people are wont to do. It would be a great relief to me to know you are also there for her. I think the wider Abigail’s support group is, the more confident she will be and the sooner she will adjust to her new life. And if she forms any friends, I will do my best to welcome them despite any faults I will no doubt find in them.” Alana laughed, and clutched her side as she struggled to stop, but Hannibal’s wide grin made her laugh even more. The mental image of Hannibal unintentionally frightening off any potential friends kept popping into her head.

***

Will struggled with himself, trying to decide what to say as he and Abigail filled the sink with dishes and wiped down the table. He realized a certain amount of time had passed and he missed the opportunity to begin speaking without it being awkward. Now he had to decide if it was more awkward to speak after that point or clean in silence. Fortunately, Abigail decided for him.

“So, not to be rude or anything, but do any of your dishes actually belong to the same set?” Abigail smiled softly at Will and he noted the teasing glitter in the blue of her irises as she peered at him from the corner of her eye. He felt a laugh escape from deep in his chest before he even thought about how to respond.

“I’m not actually sure,” he said as he placed the last dirty dish into the sink and stood next to her, taking up another sponge and beginning to scrub as she had. “I don’t usually have guests over so matching dishes never mattered.” He jumped when he bumped elbows with her scrubbing too hard at a bit of food. “I’m so sorry! Are you ok?” He dropped the plate back in the sink and reached to grab her arm to check for injury before pausing half way, realizing his hands were covered in suds. Abigail looked at him, rolling her eyes.

“God Will, you’re such a weirdo. I’m fine, you barely hit me.” She took up a kitchen towel and scooted a little further away so she was over the counter and began to dry the glass she had been scrubbing. “Here, I can dry everything and you scrub, that way you don’t have to worry about hitting me again.”

“Sorry. Ok.” Will flushed and returned to scrubbing, feeling self conscious about himself and his dishes.

“You know, you could go shopping with Hannibal. I’m sure he could help you pick out a nice set of dishes. I mean, mismatching is fine for one person, but when we’re all together it’ll be a little silly. How do you even end up with so many odd plates?” Abigail set down the dried glass and took the offered plate from Will. She smiled to let him know she didn’t want to be mean. Will allowed himself to smile too, pleased that she was already thinking about when she would move in.

“Well, I mostly just pick things up at garage sales or resale shops. I prefer to spend my money on nice things for the dogs. I don’t need much.” Abigail scoffed.

“Oh please, if you’d take better care of yourself, like you do your dogs I bet you’d be a lot more healthy and stable. It’s a good thing Hannibal looks out for you or you’d be a mess.” Will knew her words were true, but scowled as he passed her a stack of rinsed plates to dry.

“I’m pretty sure if anyone is doing any scolding it’s supposed to be me, not you. I’m the adult.” Abigail laughed.

“Well someone has to tell you to take care of yourself, I don’t think that qualifies you as an adult. But don’t worry. Once I’m here I’ll make sure you always have breakfast before you go to work and I can cook when Hannibal’s not around.” She suddenly frowned and stopped drying. “I used to take my dad lunch, you know? He was always so proud of me. I thought I was the best daughter.”

“Abigail...nothing that happened is your fault. I don’t want to replace your dad, if you don’t want to make lunch that’s fine. I wouldn’t expect it of you anyways. We can do our own things. I could teach you to fish and we could go fishing on weekends?” Will felt his breath catch in his throat as he waited for her answer. She began to dry while she thought of how to reply.

“I don’t know if I want to fish...yet. Maybe after a while.” She accepted the next stack of wet dishes and silverware. “Could I...decorate a little?” Will looked up, shocked. He pretended not to notice that she avoided meeting his eyes.

“Um. Yeah, I mean you can do whatever you want with your room.” She smiled and shook her head.

“No, I mean like some of the rest of the house. I want to decorate the living room and at least change the curtains in the dining room. All the colors are so dull and everything is so unhomey. I also want to go through and clean everything. I love the dogs, but you need to clean more often, all that hair and dirt can’t be healthy to live in.” She gave him a pointed stare and he had to agree, the house could use some cleaning.

“Fine, fine, have it your way. When you move in you can change the curtains in whatever room you want and you can pick out a few decorations or something. But nothing too nice, you don’t want the dogs knocking anything over that you’ll miss. And when you start cleaning I will help. I don’t want to come home and find you buried under a pile of dust and hair.” Abigail grinned at him and he couldn’t hold back his own smile.

“You could also have Hannibal help you with clothes. Maybe I should drag you shopping with me next time.” She eyed him carefully, hoping she hadn’t crossed a line. Will laughed.

“What’s wrong with my clothes? Not everyone can go around dressed like Hannibal.” Will set the last plates in the counter and pulled out another towel to help dry.

“Well, they aren’t terrible, but you could make a little more effort. Just get some new things, even if they are of a similar style.” Abigail put away the last dish and waited for Will to finish drying the one he held.

“Alright, that’s enough from you I think. Put up this plate and then you should show us what you bought. I think it’s my turn to criticize your clothing.” He laughed as she put away the plates and glared at him. He knew it wasn’t a real glare, and the thought that she felt comfortable teasing him made his chest swell and he struggled to hold in his smile. Abigail pretended not to notice and stomped into the living room, announcing she wanted to go through the clothes now.


	5. someone's little star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail tries on her clothes and Will and Hannibal try on fatherhood

Ch.5

Will followed Abigail into the living room and joined Alana as she stood up from the couch along with Hannibal. Abigail began to dig through the bags and put together outfits. She had a total of six outfits spread over the couch and a few dresses before she admitted defeat and couldn’t display anymore of the clothing she had bought. Alana picked up on her struggle and suggested Abigail try on the clothing and do a little fashion show. Abigail rolled her eyes.

“God, that is so lame. I’m not twelve anymore.” Abigail crossed her arms frowning.

“Well, child or not, I think it would be fun.” Alana smiled gently at Abigail, ignoring her attitude. She knew Abigail wasn’t against showing off her clothes, Abigail just wasn’t sure if she was ready to act so comfortable around Will and Hannibal just yet.

Abigail sighed and picked up the remaining bags from the floor. As she carried them off to the bathroom to change, Will sprang into action. Hannibal and Alana looked startled when Will dashed over to a side cabinet in the dining room and returned with a long red table runner. He put a finger over his lips warning them to keep quiet and then tiptoed down the hall. Will unfolded the table runner starting outside the bathroom door and stretched it out down the hall leading into the living room.

“A red carpet for our famous little Abigail. How thoughtful Will.” Hannibal smiled and squeezed Will’s hand.

“I’m not sure if I’m more startled by such a cute little display or the fact that Will Graham owns a rather pretty table runner.” Alana laughed and absentmindedly petted one of the dogs that bothered to get up from a nap.

“Hey now, I do own a few nice things. There’s just no reason for me to use them, especially since I let the dogs ruin nearly everything. Shhhhh! She’s coming out now!” Will whispered as Alana laughed.

The bathroom door creaked and Abigail’s dark head poked out. She studied the faced of the three adults down the hall and chewed her lip. She hadn’t noticed the table runner on the floor yet, and stepped out tentatively. Abigail wobbled lightly in a new pair of dark brown ankle boots and a navy blue A-line collared dress as she tried to decide if she really needed to do this “fashion show” or not. She felt like she was frozen in place as she remembered showing off new clothes to her parents. The hall suddenly felt small and dark and Abigail began to shake.

Alana noticed Abigail’s distress and clutched at Will’s arm.

“What should we do?”

“I’m not sure. Should I go comfort her?” Will turned to Hannibal.

Making up his mind quickly, Hannibal walked purposefully to Abigail.

“Come now,” he said as he linked one of his arms with Abigail’s, “walk with me.” Abigail nodded and slowly let Hannibal lead her down the hall. She looked to the ground as she neared the living room, feeling embarrassed. A light little gasp escaped her when she finally saw the pretty red table runner under her feet. Hannibal noticed her reaction and smiled. “Will put that there for you. You’re his little star.” Abigail blushed and blinked quickly when she felt her eyes water.

Just in time to enter the living room, Abigail straightened her posture and smiled at Will and Alana. With their encouraging smiles she gently unhooked her arm from Hannibal’s and stepped to the end of the red carpet to do a little twirl. Hannibal slipped off to stand next to Will and linked their hands.

“What do you think?” Abigail asked, daring them to say something bad about the dress she had chosen. She liked it a lot, and normally she wasn’t one to wear dresses.

“I think it’s lovely, Abigail.” Hannibal nodded approvingly. 

“It’s very nice. I hope the dogs don’t ruin it somehow.” Will’s genuine worry made Abigail laugh and she tossed her hair over her shoulder before walking confidently back to the bathroom to change.

***

The evening continued in much the same fashion with Abigail showing off her new clothing, mostly jeans and sweaters and pretty long-sleeved blouses. At some point Alana acquired a glass of wine from Hannibal, since Will was too wrapped up in anything Abigail did to think of his other guest’s comfort, and Hannibal had carefully folded and put away the outfits arranged on the couch so that he and Alana could sit. Will finally came back to reality when Abigail took an unusually long time changing, and went to stand in front of the couch, not yet ready to sit.

***

Abigail finally finished changing and swooshed her way out into the living room in a swirl of dark purple and black silk. She had bought a halter dress that began purple and faded to black at the bottom. The halter had a thick enough collar that it hid her scar well and made her feel less exposed.

Will rubbed a hand over his face when he saw her, and fell back into the couch. She glanced down at her dress, feeling self-conscious and wrapped her arms around herself defensively.

“I know it’s too fancy for me, but Alana insisted I get it. Actually, she practically bullied me into it.” Alana made a face as if to say “guilty-as-charged”.

“Don’t apologize Abigail, I think it was a wise decision. It’s very becoming on you and I think every young woman should have a beautiful dress. It’s perfect for going to the opera, which I hope you will agree to attend with me at some point.” Abigail grinned back at Hannibal as her arms dropped comfortably to her sides.

“It’s gorgeous.” Will spoke from behind his hands as they once more dragged down his face. “What am I going to do?” He said as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just barely going to get to have a daughter and now every unworthy boy in the state is going to try to steal you away when they see you in that.”

Abigail was startled but her face cracked into a smile when she noticed Will had begun to laugh.

“Psht. I’m pretty sure everyone thinks I’m a murderer so I don’t think anyone will be interested in me anyways.” Abigail fidgeted uncomfortably under the gaze of the adults. Alana looked pitying and Hannibal looked carefully stoic. Will was frowning angrily.

“If anyone bothers you, you have to let us know. Ok? We will handle it. I’m just as ready to scare away silly love-struck boys as I am anyone else who bothers you in any way. And don’t misunderstand, I get you’re a young woman now and you’ll eventually meet someone special. I think, when that happens, we will all do our best not to scare that person away. There are some decisions you have to make for yourself, and we will be supportive.” Will seemed startled by his own outburst, and so was everyone else. Hannibal recovered first.

“Will is right, Abigail. We will do our best to support you in every way we can.” Will flashed him a smile and squeezed his hand.

“And don’t feel bad if you don’t find someone. There’s no hurry. Look at me; I’m just fine as I am. If other people can’t appreciate you, that’s not any fault of yours.” Alana reached forward and gave Abigail’s arm a light squeeze.

“Ok,” Abigail smiled shyly “thanks.”

Suddenly, all of the dogs leapt up from their beds and rugs and ran to the door barking. A loud “thump” could be heard outside and an angry male voice. Alana instinctively rushed to Abigail and pulled her close. Will motioned Hannibal to stay back and carefully pushed his way past the furry bodies and out the front door.


	6. Nick Boyle, you weren't invited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter is much more dark than the others.   
> In this story, Abigail hasn't been confronted by Nick Boyle yet. 
> 
> Harold shows up, but who does he have with him?

Ch. 6

Only the small porch light illuminated the darkness outside as Will slipped out the front door. His eyes strained to find whatever or whoever had startled the dogs. Overly focused on seeing, Will nearly forgot to listen, but heavy breathing drew his attention to the far corner of the porch. Something large and dark was struggling in the corner and Will felt a spark of hope that Harold might be back.

“Harold, is that you?” Will edged forward slowly. A strained voice replied.

“I’m not Harold, whoever that is. Get this stupid beast off of me. Aaah!” The voice gasped as the dark shape seemed to twist. Will’s fists clenched at his sides as he drew closer. He could make out a shock of ginger hair and a pale face in front of the dark shape. Will’s eyes were pulled to the creature again and a light breeze blew over him. He knew that scent; it was Harold’s slightly musky scent and the smell of blood.

“Who are you?” Will asked, staying back to try to understand the situation.

“My name is Nick Boyle. Agh!” Nick would have screamed but it seemed his voice was failing him. “I was looking for Will Graham’s house and this crazy deer attacked me. Call an ambulance or animal control, or do something!” Nick wheezed harshly.

Will froze.

“I am Will Graham. Why have you come to my house? I don’t know you...”

“You wouldn’t, but you know my sister, Cassie Boyle. I know that Hobbs girl killed her, and I was at the mall when I saw that girl talking with some lady and say she couldn’t wait to see Will. I did some research and pulled up your name. I was going to warn you to be careful of that murdering little bitch. Aaah!” He did scream that time and Will felt his anger flare, filling his body with adrenaline. He made a quick decision and pulled one of the rocking chairs over to the front door to jam it under the handle. Nick was in too much pain to notice.

“Why did you come to my house looking for Abigail? What did you plan to do? Don’t tell me you wanted to warn me, that can’t be the only reason you came all the way out here.” Will finally walked over to stand next to Harold’s massive shoulder. He took in the sight of Nick half impaled on Harold’s antlers as the stag struggled to keep the man pinned against Will’s house. Will absentmindedly stroked Harold’s shoulder, feeling the tension underneath mirroring his own.

“That girl murdered my sister! I want to know why she did it! I want revenge, surely you can understand that.” Nick winced in pain and Will watched a drop of sweat as it grew heavy and rolled down his forehead, dripping into his eye. “Ugh, now help me get this animal off of me!”

“Certainly.” said Will as he stroked Harold’s coat. “Shhh, shhh. That’s it Harold, settle down. Come on,” he said, pushing back on Harold’s chest to ease him away from Nick, “back off boy, that’s it.” Harold pushed back for a second, and then suddenly stopped, quickly wrenching his prongs out of the man’s stomach. Nick screamed. Will ignored Nick, rubbing Harold’s head, feeling it damp with blood. He made soothing noises at the stag until Harold backed off to the other side of the porch.

“Oh thank god.” Nick sagged to the ground trying to put pressure on his wounds. “Get an ambulance, what are you waiting for?” He peered up at Will, confused.

“Nothing. I’m not calling an ambulance. Or animal control. You see, Nick,” Will said as he kneeled to meet Nick’s eyes, “you came to my home, and threatened my little girl. You don’t get to do that. No one does.” Nick looked confused and betrayed, and suddenly angry.

“Are you some kind of lunatic? She’s Garret Jacob Hobbs’ daughter, not yours. She’s a fucking murderer! Oh my god, you are too! You’re covering for her and leading the FBI away from her! You son of a bitch!” Nick spat blood at Will, hitting him right in the face. Will calmly wiped the blood off with his sleeve and smiled.

“Oh no, Nick, you see, Abigail’s my daughter now and she is innocent. I’m truly sorry for your sister, but my little girl didn’t do it. And now you’ve come to my home and threatened my family. I can’t let you do that, Nick.” Nick’s eyes widened and he struggled to try to stand. Will hauled him up to half stand and then placed his hands on either side of Nick’s face before bashing his head back against the house. Nick would have crumpled to the ground, but Will caught him.

He hefted the unconscious body over his shoulder and slowly made his way off the porch and toward his shed. He pushed away any thoughts of what he was doing, knowing he’d gone too far to turn back now.

He was struggling under the weight of the body by the time he reached the shed. The lock was difficult to open one handed and Will huffed in irritation, ready to put down the body to open it.

***

“Can you hear anything? Do you think Will is alright?” Abigail asked Alana as she buried herself further in the cocoon of safety she provided. The dogs barked and scratched at the front door, drowning out anything happening outside.

“I can’t make out any words, but I think I heard a scream.” Alana smoothed down Abigail’s hair and rocked her gently. “Maybe we should move further into the house?” Alana asked Hannibal who stood tense and focused on the front door.

“I think that is a good idea.” He went to the kitchen and came back with a large knife. He handed it to Alana, who took it looking horrified and then determined. Alana pulled Abigail along with her to the bathroom and locked the door behind them.

“I think we should stay in here until Will gets back, ok?” Abigail nodded and they went to hide in the bathtub. Alana clutched the knife.

“I am going to check on Will, I am sure everything will be fine.” Hannibal called through the door. He stalked over to the front door, pushing through the angry dogs ready to save Will, and was shocked when the door wouldn’t budge. He realized Will must have intentionally barred it somehow. He glanced around the house, looking for another exit. The back door, he remembered, led outside as well, and he could sneak back around to the front of the house.

***

Hannibal stepped out into the cold and gave himself a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. As soon as his vision seemed satisfactory, he quietly snuck along the walls of the house to the front porch. He was surprised when the porch was empty save for Harold, who was breathing heavily and had blood coating his face.

“Where has Will gone, Harold?” he asked as he rubbed the offered forehead, ignoring the blood, knowing it wasn't Harold who was injured. Harold huffed at him and looked toward the shed. Hannibal followed the stag’s gaze and was shocked to see Will carrying a body. He quickly followed, but stayed back enough not to interrupt Will’s actions.

When he saw Will struggling with the shed lock, he contemplated staying hidden and just observing, but changed his mind.

“My darling, let me help you with that.” Will turned quickly, nearly dropping Nick’s body.

“Hannibal!” Will’s eyes were wide with panic. “I can explain!”

“Hush, Will, it requires no explanation. Hand me the body, you can open the shed.”


End file.
